Projectile for ordnance.



PATENTED JULY 9, 1907.

3. J. MCGUIRE. PROJEGTILE FOR ORDNANGB.

APPLICATION FILED DEO.22, 1906- Q MW W N 1 wit wows PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES J. MCGUIRE, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

PROJECTILE FOR ORDNANCE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 9, 1907'.

A li ti fil d December 22, 1906. Serial No. 349,123.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, James J. MCGUIRE, a citizen of the United States, residing in Washington, District of (lolumbia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Projectiles for Ordnance, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and to the figures and letters of reference marked thereon.

In the practice of modern gunnery, particularly in ordnance of large caliber and high muzzle velocity, one of the chief sources of trouble and expense is found to be due to the rapid deterioration or destruction of the rifling in the bore of the gun. It has been estif mated and practice has demonstrated the correctness of the estimate that the life of a modern gun of large caliber and high power is limited to a comparatively few discharges, where full weight projectiles and full powder charges are employed it being found that a gun becomes practically ineffective after as few as sixty rounds have been fired. The deterioration of the gun is, beyond question, due to a very large extent to the projectiles which of necessity must be of great weight and must fit the bore of the gun with great accuracy. These factors cause an excessive amount of friction and strain on the rifiing and inner face of the bore during the exceedingly short period of time taken for the projectile to travel from the breech chamber to the mouth of the gun.

It is the object of my present invention to provide a projectile which will, in a large measure, if not completely, overcome the difficulties heretofore encountered and which, by its use, will greatly prolong the effective life of a gun, if, indeed, it will not render the effective life of the gun indefinitely long.

To this end the invention consists primarily in a projectile embodying a means whereby the rotary effect of the rifling is imparted to the body of the projectile through an intermediate yielding member which will absorb any impact against the rifling, distribute the angular pressure derived therefrom over a longer period of time and in effect gradually impart to the body of the projectile its angular movement without a tendency to rupture or strain the rifling beyond the limit of endurance of the metal.

More specifically and in the particular form of projectile illustrated herein the invention consists in forming the projectile with an angularly movable member adapted to cooperate with the rifling of the bore of the gun and a yielding connection between said angularly movable member and the body of the projectile, whereby during the initial movement of 1 the projectile said angularlymovable member will be moved angularly by the rifling and such movement will be gradually imparted to the projectile and in a gradually increasing ratio as the body of the projectile increases in its velocity.

Referring to the accompanying drawingsFigure l is a longitudinal section through a projectile cmbodying the present improvements. Figs. 2 and 3 are respectively a side and end elevation of a spring adapted to form the connection between the angularly movable member and body of the projectile. Fig. 4 is a section corresponding to Fig. 1 and showing a modified arrangement of the yielding connection between the parts. Fig. 5 is a transverse section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4 with parts in elevation.

Similar letters of reference in the several figures indicate the same parts.

The body of the projectile is indicated in the accompanying drawings by the letter A but it will be understood that the form illustrated is simply diagrammatic and said body may be of any approved or preferred form desired and adapted for either a solid shot or a shell containing an explosive charge in accordance with ordinary practice. .lournaled or otherwise suitably mounted on the body of the projectile in such manner as to be capable of an angular movement with relation to said body is a gasket member B and in the preferred construction this angularly movable or gasket member 13 is journaled on a rearwardly projecting central stem or prolongation A of the body of the projectile, said stem or prolonga tion A at its rear end being adapted to receive a retainer or rear end A of the projectile. The connection between the rear end A and the prolongation or stem A may, as shown, be effected by screw threading the said parts and screwing one upon the other as at a whereby the front and rear portions of the projectile will be rigidly connected with the gasket member B journaled between the two but it will be understood that in constructing and assembling the parts of the projectile the mechanical details may be widely varied without departing from the real invention.

The form of the angularly movable or gasket member, it is obvious, may also be varied within wide limits, but it is preferred that it should not only have a relatively long bearing on the body of the projectile, but also that there should be provided between the rear end of the projectile and gasket member a bearing of relatively large size but of such construction as to offer as little friction resistance as possible, although in some instances, it may be desirable to eliminate the anti-friction feature and to utilize the friction between these parts as a factor, at least, in transmitting the angular movement from one part to the other. As shown, a ball bearing C is introduced between the rear end of the projectile and the angularly movable or gasket member and the latter is provided with Cir forward extension I) which serves to extend its bearing on the central stem as well as to assist in confining or chambering the spring or yielding connection between the parts to be now described.

In Figs. 1, 2 and 3 a coil spring E is shown as the yielding connecting member between the gasket member and body of the projectile, said spring being located between these parts and its opposite ends connected with each, preferably by pins F and eyes G in the ends of the spring although it will be understood that any other or preferred form of connecting means may be employed inasmuch as such devices are well understood in modern machine practice.

Obviously the form of the yielding connection between the gasket member and body of the projectile may be greatly varied and it may and does preferably have a reactionary effect as in a spring, although this is not essential to the broad conception of the invention.

In Figs. 4 and 5 a modified arrangement of the yielding connection is shown and in this form of the invention the body of the projectile and gasket or angularly movable member are provided with intercalated projections H and I respectively with a suflicient play between them to permit of the desired relative angular movement of the parts, and springs K are seated between said projections in position to resist such relative angular movement but at the same time to yield under the pressure of one of said members and to impart with a yielding pressure the movement to the other member, t'. 6., the body of the projectile.

In the forms of the projectile illustrated, the springs are inclosed and protected by a cylindrical cover or casing L which may be a separate cylinder or formed as an integral part of either the body of the projectile or of the gasket member, the object of its employment being simply to give the correct uniform contour lines to the projectile itself and to afford a complete protection' for the connecting medium between the gasl ket member and body of the projectile.

With a projectile of the construction described it will be seen that the rotary or angular movement is v imparted to the heavy body through the medium of a relatively light member the latter being cushioned 3 so as to take into the rifling without danger of straining, wearing or breaking the same and to transmit the rotary or angular movement to the heavy body gradually and without shock. With the use of springs their recovery will ultimately impart to the body prac- D tically the full rotary effort which can be imparted by rifiing of any given length and pitch.

The permissible relative movement of the body and gasket member is preferably slight as compared with the angular movement imparted by the riding of the 5 gun, or is only suiiicient to cause the desired cushioning effect and the strength of the spring or springs is preferably made such that they will have recovered partially or wholly at the instant whenthe projectile leaves the muzzle of the gun. Even though the desired recovery should not be effected the gasket member is preferably so light as compared with the weight of the body of the projectile that its short relative backward rotation on the projectile willnot materially interfere with or retard the rotation of the projectile as a Whole.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a projectile for rifled ordnance, the combination with the body of the projectile, of a gasket member angularly movable thereon, and means whereby the angular movement of the gasket member will be gradually imparted to the body of the projectile; substantially as described.

2. In a projectile for rifled ordnance, the combination with the body of the projectile, of a gasket member angularly movable thereon and means for yieldingly resisting such angular movement. I

3. In a projectile for rifled ordnance, the combination with the body of the projectile, of a gasket member angu larly movable thereon, and a spring interposed between the gasket member and body of the projectile for transmitting the angular movement of one to the other.

4. In a projectile for rifled ordnance, the combination with the body of the projectile and rearwardly extending stem, of a gasket member journaled'on said stem and a yielding connection between the gasket member and body of the projectile. I

5. In a projectile for rifled ordnance, the combination with the body of the projectile and rearwardly projecting stem thereon, of a gasket member journaled on said stem, and a spring inter-posed between the gasket member and body of the projectile and through which the angular movement of one is imparted to the other; substantially as described.

6. In a projectile for rifled ordnance, the combination with the body of the projectile having the rearwardly e3:- tending stem and the rear end of the projectile mounted on said stem, of the gasket member journaled on the stem intermediate the body and rear end of the projectile, and a yielding connection between said gasket member and projectile; substantially as described.

7. In a projectile for rifled ordnance, the combination with the body of the projectile, having the rearwardly eX- iending stem and the rear end of the projectile rigidly mounted on said stem, of the gasket member journaled on said stem intermediate the rear end and body of the projectile. and a coiled spring interposed between the forward end of the gasket and body of the projectile.

8. In a projectile for rifled ordnance, the combination with the body of the projectile having the rearwardly extending stem and the rear end of the projectile mounted on said stem, of a gasket member journaled on said stem, an anti-friction bearing between said gasket member and rear end of. the projectile and a spring interposed between the forward end of said gasket member and body of the projectile.

JAMES J. MCGUIRE.

Witnesses THOMAS DURAN'I, ALEXANDER S. Srmmnr. 

